Pep Guardiola - 2025/26

People need to stop blaming the players it’s the manager with his awful tactics. Yes I get these tactics worked for years and were very successful but they ain’t working now. Maybe it’s because the players aren’t good enough as the previous players,injuries or opponents knowing how to play against them. If pep’s not willing to change he needs to go.

The football over the last few months has also been shite to watch and the wins gloss over that. It’s when you get a result like last night or Brighton away you walk out of the ground disappointed with the result but annoyed with the performance
 
FJRMCFC said:
We created enough to win the game. And I think you’re underestimating how difficult it is to win away in Europe
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True, but overrall we were too conservative in that second half, Haaland didn't get a sniff when all he needed was one chance to bury the game, and having Bernie on the wing didn't help.
 
Mcfc1.9.8.0 said:
People need to stop blaming the players it’s the manager with his awful tactics. Yes I get these tactics worked for years and were very successful but they ain’t working now. Maybe it’s because the players aren’t good enough as the previous players,injuries or opponents knowing how to play against them. If pep’s not willing to change he needs to go.

The football over the last few months has also been shite to watch and the wins gloss over that. It’s when you get a result like last night or Brighton away you walk out of the ground disappointed with the result but annoyed with the performance
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This post is going to age like year old milk.
 
out of possession we are still far away from the best. maybe the lack of proper pre-season still hurts us, but the energy levels are not good enough. holding onto leads should be easier than coming back or winning games in last 10 mins. but if we cannot hold into leads or go from 2-1 to 3-1 or 1-0 to 2-0 when we have the chances thats not good. I think its to do with energy levels, even in our better games we have 30-40mins where we look tired, jaded. 1st half vs Burnley for example. not every side will allow us to turn into 2nd gear or higher.

maybe still early days but expect much better from the new backroom staff. not sure the likes of Stones, Bernardo are extremely hungry tho to raise their energy levels. lets hope there is gradual improvement until Christmas on this.

we must finish in top 8 of CL this time, to show that we learnt from last season and to save energy, let other (English) clubs play the dreaded extra playoff games in February before the big boys back in action for the KO games last 16.
 
Mcfc1.9.8.0 said:
People need to stop blaming the players it’s the manager with his awful tactics. Yes I get these tactics worked for years and were very successful but they ain’t working now. Maybe it’s because the players aren’t good enough as the previous players,injuries or opponents knowing how to play against them. If pep’s not willing to change he needs to go.

The football over the last few months has also been shite to watch and the wins gloss over that. It’s when you get a result like last night or Brighton away you walk out of the ground disappointed with the result but annoyed with the performance
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Pep’s changed the tactics for each of our last four games. We haven’t played the same way in any of them.
 
.db. said:
Pep’s changed the tactics for each of our last four games. We haven’t played the same way in any of them.
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I always find it a bit strange to hear Pep being criticized for being stuck in his ways, and clinging to a style of play that has been ‘found out’ and doesn’t work any longer. It seems fairly obvious that, since winning the treble, we’ve moved in a different direction and have let go of a lot of what most would think of as Pep’s key principles.
And as you say, we don’t have a fixed system. Personally, I think this is part of the issue we have (and have had for a while). Not sure anyone can really say what Pep’s preferred set up is, particularly with regards fullbacks. Nunes as a fairly orthodox up-and-down right back? Khusanov tucking in as a third centre half? Stones going from right back into midfield? O’Reilly overlapping? Or going infield?
It can be good to have different options, of course, and the ability to tweak things as you go. But successful teams virtually always have a settled shape, that allows for consistency and understanding. And if we’re going to get back towards our previous levels, it feels like we need to find that preferred system sooner rather than later.
 
sh249 said:
I always find it a bit strange to hear Pep being criticized for being stuck in his ways, and clinging to a style of play that has been ‘found out’ and doesn’t work any longer. It seems fairly obvious that, since winning the treble, we’ve moved in a different direction and have let go of a lot of what most would think of as Pep’s key principles.
And as you say, we don’t have a fixed system. Personally, I think this is part of the issue we have (and have had for a while). Not sure anyone can really say what Pep’s preferred set up is, particularly with regards fullbacks. Nunes as a fairly orthodox up-and-down right back? Khusanov tucking in as a third centre half? Stones going from right back into midfield? O’Reilly overlapping? Or going infield?
It can be good to have different options, of course, and the ability to tweak things as you go. But successful teams virtually always have a settled shape, that allows for consistency and understanding. And if we’re going to get back towards our previous levels, it feels like we need to find that preferred system sooner rather than later.
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It’s part of the transition of the team at the moment I reckon.

The very best teams don’t need to change tactics or systems too much because they’re just better than most other teams they play. More limited teams can’t change the way they play too much because they don’t have the quality to adapt.

We’re a bit in the middle of those things. We are neither a top team nor a limited team, we have some top players but many younger and inexperienced ones and there has been a sea change of players with half the squad having only been signed in 2025 so this is still a team that isn’t settled playing together yet and probably a team that Pep is still experimenting on what he can get out of them at its best.
 
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sh249 said:
I always find it a bit strange to hear Pep being criticized for being stuck in his ways, and clinging to a style of play that has been ‘found out’ and doesn’t work any longer. It seems fairly obvious that, since winning the treble, we’ve moved in a different direction and have let go of a lot of what most would think of as Pep’s key principles.
And as you say, we don’t have a fixed system. Personally, I think this is part of the issue we have (and have had for a while). Not sure anyone can really say what Pep’s preferred set up is, particularly with regards fullbacks. Nunes as a fairly orthodox up-and-down right back? Khusanov tucking in as a third centre half? Stones going from right back into midfield? O’Reilly overlapping? Or going infield?
It can be good to have different options, of course, and the ability to tweak things as you go. But successful teams virtually always have a settled shape, that allows for consistency and understanding. And if we’re going to get back towards our previous levels, it feels like we need to find that preferred system sooner rather than later.
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I think the frustration is that he adopted - in the treble season nonetheless - the tactic of protecting leads by being conservative instead of going for the kill and scoring more. And he’s kept it. Which was fine in 22/23 and 23/24 because the defence were on top of their games. Not so much now.

It was detrimental last season with Eddie in net because if you’re inviting pressure then you need a freak between the posts. Which we have now.

Football has evolved. Teams are more patient because they know they only need a chance. Especially with shit referees looking to give anything they can.

I just wish we’d go for the jugular more often. Haaland only needed one more chance on Wednesday and it would’ve been game over. But he didn’t get that because the team went into consolidation mode.

This whole death by a million passes is painful and completely negates the attacking ability we have on the pitch. We had Haaland, Foden, Reijnders, Doku/Savinho on there who want to score and that’s where their strengths are. You can’t keep the ball for 45 minutes straight and our press isn’t the best (yet) to avoid transitions and chances against us.
 
Why is Kova on the bench 3 games in a row if he can't play a minute ?
 
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